Ocean Merge

Stephen Wilson, CSU Summer Arts Festival, San Luis Obispo, CA, 1987

Can computers put us in touch with forces of nature?

Is there such a thing as "nature"?

Sensors placed in the surf read the movements of the waves and the surf.

Iron salvage stakes were put in the surf as sensors. Using
inexpensive game controller ports, the Apple II computer read the resistance
at the sensors. Sea water conducts electricity. As the surf and waves
moved out the sand became less saturated with water and thus less conductive.
This poor man's sensor (cost $6 for wires) allowed the computer to read
the movement of the water. Speakers were stretched out on either
side of the audience. As the water moved in, so did the sound.

The installation attempted to use the computer to cause the audience
to notice the shifting of the waters.